Extensible telescopic antenna



Feb. 18, 1958 R. LANGHECK 2,823,771

EXTENSIBLE TELESCOPIC ANTENNA Filed Aug; 15, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1l/VVE/VIUP RICHARD LANGHECK Feb 18, 1958 K 2,823,771

mmnsmm mssco xc mum Filed Aug. 15, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVFNFOI?ATTORNEYS 2,823,771 Patented Feb. 18, 1958 Free EXTENSIBLE TELESCOPICANTENNA Richard Langheck, Niefern, Baden, Germany, assiguor to WilhelmSihn jr. K. G., Niefern/lladen, Germany, a firm Application August 15,1955, Serial No. 528,472

Claims priority, application Germany February 4, 1955 2 Claims. (Cl.189-26) This invention relates to a new and useful construction of atelescopic antenna for automobiles of the type wherein telescopicextension and retraction of the antenna is effected by a motor, andwherein an antenna convey ing means such as a flexible rod or striphaving a free end is actuated by friction from an actuating device forthe aforesaid flexible antenna telescoping means.

It is well known in the art to mount antennas on the outside ofautomobiles by providing special mountings located for instance on thecowl of an automobile. Antenna mountings are already known which permitmountinga radio antenna of the non-telescopic type on an antenna base byfastening both the base and the antenna onan automobile cowl from theoutside, with the lead-in for the radio frequency passing from theantenna through the antenna base and through an opening in the cowlbelow the base into the interior of the automobile.

However, all hitherto known telescopic antennas for automobiles requirethat the telescoping members of the antenna are inserted into theopening in the automobile cowl and in the antenna base from the interiorof the automobile. This has the drawback that it becomes necessary toremove the telescopic antenna from the in- Side of the car whenever an.exchange of the antenna conveying rod or a cleaning of the antennamembers is required, which occurs with relative frequency, the outertelescopic member bearing the antenna base usually being themechanically most sensitive part of the antenna assembly.

In order to remove a telescopic antenna from an antenna mounting forautomobiles, as it is, for instance, described in the Patent No.2,454,897, it is necessary, after loosening a cap nut on the outside ofthe antenna mounting, to withdraw the entire telescopic antennadownwardly into the interior of the car and out of the antenna mounting.

It is an object of my invention to overcome this inconvenience byproviding a telescopic antenna and mounting for the same which permitsremoval of the telescopic members of the antenna including the attachedantenna conveying means from the opening in the cowl by simply looseninga cap nut from the outside and then pulling or lifting the entiretelescopic antenna out of the cowl also from the outside.

It is another object of my invention to provide a telescopic antennahaving a flexible antenna conveying means attached to the outertelescopic member, which telescopic antenna can be inserted from theoutside into an opening in the cowl of an automobile in a simple mannerthrough an antenna mounting, the free end of the flexible antennatelescoping means being adapted to be seized by the friction wheels ofan actuating device after each reassembly of the antenna.

The antenna actuating device is described in detail in my co-pendingpatent application Ser. No. 449,403, filed August 12, 1954, now PatentNo. 2,749,759, patented June 12, 1956.

The aforesaid objects are achieved by the arrangement according to myinvention which willbe easily understood from the following descriptionin connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of an automobile cowl having an antennamounting, and a telescopic antenna and antenna base according to myinvention mounted therein.

Figure 2 is a side view of the mounting and antenna according to myinvention with the antenna completely withdrawn from the antennamounting toward the outside of the automobile.

Figure 3 is a partially sectional view of the antenna actuating device,according to the invention, which serves for feeding and retracting thetelescopic antenna conveying means.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, reference numerals 2, 3,and 4 designate several telescopic members of a car antenna of thetelescopic type. A cap nut 5 is screwed on to the threaded sleeve 6, andholds, with aid of the cap 15, a semi-spherical member 16, serving as atoggle head, in position on the annular gasket 17.

Through an opening 26 of the automobile cowl 7, .the upper sleeve part27 of the antenna base tube 8 extends upwardly from the interior of thecar to theoutside thereof. The sleeve 6 extends downwardly into theupper sleeve part 27 of the antenna base tube 8 and is rigidly connectedtherewith. The antenna base tube 8 is mounted in the interior of thevehicle as shown in my co-pending application, Ser. No. 381,540, filedSeptember 22, 1953. The antenna base tube 8 is fastened to the cowl 7 bymeans of the rocker support plate 19 and the rocker portion 18 of thelatter. It houses in its central bore the outermost telescopic antennamember 4, and a sleeve 11 which surrounds member 4 and is provided atits upper end with a threaded collar 12. This collar is threadedlyengaged by the aforesaid cap nut 5.

The sleeve 11 is provided with annular and longitudinal grooves or slots13 which impart to the sleeve a certain amount of resilience that causesit to be snugly displaceable along the telescopic member 4. Sections 14of sleeve 11 have the full diameter while the intermediate sections ofthe sleeve have a somewhat reduced diameter.

When the cap nut 5 is screwed down on the threaded part of sleeve 6 iturges the abutment 12 of sleeve 11 downwardly and the latter moves thetelescopic member 4 in the same downward direction by means of itslowermost full section 14, which abuts against a collar 15 provided atthe lowermost end of the aforesaid member 4.

The antenna conveying means ill extends from the uppermost telescopicmember through a central bore in all successive members downwardly andemerges from the lowermost member 4 to pass downwardly through theantenna base tube 8 into the antenna actuating device. In a preferredembodiment this antenna conveying means is a flexible nylon rod or wire,for instance of a diameter of 23 millimeters.

The pointed end 20 of the conveying means is intro duced into the tube21 of the actuating device (Figure 3) and passes around the frictionwheel 22 having lateral elastic shields 24 and friction rollers 23, allof which grip the conveying means It), and pull it downwardly if thefriction wheel 22 is rotated in the sense indicated by an arrow inFigure 2. The conveying means, i. e., for instance, a nylon rod 10 thenpasses through the socket or outlet tube 25, for instance, into achamber (not shown), containing a reel or bobbin.

When the antenna is to be removed from the car, all that is required isto loosen the cap nut 5. All telescopic members together with the sleeve11 and the antenna conveying means 10 can then be easily withdrawntoward the outside of the cowl.

On the other hand it is equally easy to reintroduce the antenna by firstintroducing the pointed end of the conveying means 10 and then thesleeve 11 with the telescopic member 4 and the other antenna membersinto the central bore of sleeve 6.

When protruding downwardly from the antenna base tube 8 the pointed end20 of the conveying means It) enters immediately into tube 21 of theantenna actuating device. The cap nut 5, which may have been pushedback, i. e. upwardly over the telescopic members, is then passedover-the same downwardly and screwed on to the threaded part of sleeve6, whereby the telescopic antenna is again assembled in the cowl. Theconveying means 10 can be actuated by rotating the friction wheel 22 ina known manner, for instance by a motor (not shown).

The high frequency lead-in may be connected to the socket or connectingbolt 28 provided laterally on the antenna base tube 8.

It will be understood that while there have been described hereincertain embodiments of my invention, it is not intended thereby to havethe invention limited to the specific details given in view of the factthat it is susceptible to various modifications and changes which comewithin the spirit of the specification and the scope of the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a motor-operated telescopic antenna adapted for mounting in thecowl of an automobile and having an antenna mounting assembly comprisinga toggle head, a

.4 support plate provided with rocker means, and a base tube stationaryin the interior of the cowl, and a telescopic assembly comprising aplurality of telescopic members and conveying means having a free endand operable with aid of friction by means of an antenna actuatingdevice; the improvement comprising means for fastening said telescopingassembly in said base tube from the outside of said cowl, said fasteningmeans comprising a sleeve part of said base tube protruding from saidtoggle head to the outside of said cowl, the widest of said telescopingmembers having an abutment at its innermost end, a grooved sleeve beingdisplaceable on said widest telescoping members downwardly to saidabutment thereof, and fitting snugly with friction around said widesttelescopic member and inside said sleeve part of said base tube, saidgrooved sleeve being provided with a threaded flange of a diameter widerthan said sleeve part, and a cap nut adapted for being screwed on tosaid threaded flange and said threaded sleeve part from the outside ofsaid cowl.

2. Fastening means as described in claim 1, wherein said grooved sleeveis provided with resilient sections for fitting snugly and with frictionaround said widest telescopic member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,581,171 Carlson Jan. 1, 1952 2,590,484 Youhouse Mar. 25, 19522,693,333 Race et a1. Nov. 2, 1954 2,727,766 Grashow Dec. 20, 1955

